Thursday Notes

AUDIO SEARCH -- Yahoo has joined the audio search business. The beta worked great in my search for Bach pieces. How does it function for your interests? Link

DEMYSTIFYING DIET COKE(S) -- In short, Diet Coke is based on the "New Coke" formula and Coca Cola Zero is a low cal version of Classic Coke. (via Kottke)

Of course, there is variation in the non-diet Classic Coke formula, too. I'm told that you can get imported Coke made with cane sugar at the Mexican grocery stores in Turlock. The made in US variety, however, is at least partially sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup. That, says the connoisseur, makes all the difference in the world -- in a negative way.

MOZILLA ADDS a for-profit subsidiary. Link

MEDIA PACKAGING -- "The rise of shorter, smaller content is actually a trend that's affecting all media and entertainment, reflecting not just the taste of a quick-change generation but also an increasing variety and flexibility in the ways we can consume media. As we leave the era of one-size-fits-all distribution, we'll increasingly see the end of one-size-fits-all content." - Chris Anderson, The Long Tail

Questions: How will this affect the way that school teachers teach, preachers preach, news writers write, and bloggers blog? How will this affect our ability to grasp subjects which can't easily be reduced to "shorter and smaller"?

Americans already tend to think that the simpler something is, the more true it must be. Complex ideas don't have as much validity in our minds. For example, when it comes to biblical exegesis I've noticed that most people prefer the interpretations which are easily explained as opposed to those which require a more in depth background in the culture, genre, and overall theological sweep. It grows out of our egalitarian bias as well as our corporate AD/HD.

JIM SUNDHOLM is concerned about stability in Sudan following the death of vice-president John Garang in a helicopter crash. The Evangelical Covenant Church of South Sudan is one of the Covenant's partner churches and we've been heavily involved in relief, community development, and church assistance there. Link

According to a BBC report this morning, 130 people have died in rioting but there is currently calm in the streets.

WIKICURRICULUM -- Jimbo Wales, the driving force behind the Wikipedia projects, is predicting the development of a free K-university curriculum which will be completed by 2040 and which could put the proprietary textbook publishers out of business. Link